National Historic Landmark

USS Lexington

Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Texas
Listed
July 30, 2003
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
03001043

About this property

USS Lexington is an Essex-class aircraft carrier built during World War II for the United States Navy. Originally intended to be named Cabot, the new aircraft carrier was renamed while under construction to commemorate the recently lost USS Lexington (CV-2), becoming the sixth U.S. Navy ship to bear the name in honor of the Battle of Lexington. Lexington was commissioned in February 1943 and saw extensive service through the Pacific War. For much of her service, she acted as the flagship for Admiral Marc Mitscher, and led the Fast Carrier Task Force through their battles across the Pacific. She was the recipient of 11 battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation. Following the war, Lexington was decommissioned, but was modernized and reactivated in the early 1950s, being reclassified as an attack carrier (CVA). Later, she was reclassified as an antisubmarine carrier (CVS). In her second career, she operated both in the Atlantic/Mediterranean and the Pacific, but spent most of her time, nearly 30 years, in Pensacola, Florida, as a training carrier (CVT). Lexington was decommissioned in 1991, with an active service life longer than any other Essex-class ship. Following her decommissioning, she was donated for use as a museum ship in Corpus Christi, Texas. In 2003, Lexington was designated a National Historic Landmark. Though her surviving sister ships Yorktown, Intrepid, and Hornet carry lower hull numbers, Lexington was laid down and commissioned earlier, making Lexington the oldest remaining fleet carrier in the world.

Location

Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Texas
27.81546, -97.38909

Categories

MILITARY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Gugenheim, Simon, House
Industrial
0.7 mi
Sidbury,Charlotte,House
Industrial
0.7 mi
Lichtenstein, S. Julius, House
Industrial
0.9 mi
Nueces County Courthouse
Industrial
1 mi
Old Bayview Cemetery
Listed
1.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Skirmish at Corpus Christi (August 1862)
1862Civil War
1.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was USS Lexington listed on the National Register?

USS Lexington was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 30, 2003.

What type of historic resource is USS Lexington?

USS Lexington is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is USS Lexington a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. USS Lexington has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for USS Lexington?

The period of significance for USS Lexington is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near USS Lexington?

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